Chaguanas school girl Samiah Devenish’s dream of becoming a doctor ended tragically yesterday when she was shot dead while studying.
Devenish, 16, a student of the ASJA Girls College, Charlieville, died at the Chaguanas District Health Facility as medical staff attempted to stop her heavy bleeding before sending her to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mount Hope.
According to the girl’s grandmother, Carol, Devenish was at her Mandela Drive home around noon where she was lying on a bed, reading a book. Her father, Herdis Taylor, and three younger siblings were watching television when they were all jolted by an explosion.
When they got up, they realised Devenish was not moving and she began to bleed. Investigators said the bullet seemed to have entered her hip area and exited through her neck. A preliminary assessment of their information suggests that someone may have been playing with a gun in the house that accidentally went off. No gun was found up to yesterday evening.
Some residents believe she could have been shot by a stray bullet from a shooting in the area caused by an ongoing war between some residents of Mandela Drive and Lyon Drive. However, investigators said the evidence thus far does not support this. While the girl’s death is a homicide, they have not yet classified it as a murder.
Speaking behind the police tape, Carol said Devenish was a brilliant child who loved to read.
“She was not a rude child and she liked books. Once she was home, she would cook her little thing and will sit down with her books...I used to tell her make sure and get a good job and she used to say ‘mammy I want to be a doctor,’” Carol said.
Insp Jackman, PC Kalloo and Chaguanas police were on the scene up to last night trying to gather information from the community. Devenish was the second teen in Chaguanas to be shot dead in the last three days.
On Thursday, Muhammad Ali, 15, was shot seven times by gunmen while liming at the Village Plaza, Edinburgh 500.